Thames
The Thames is the third submarine in the U.K. Royal Navy line. Historical trivia from Wikipedia: She was launched in 1932 and reported missing near Norway in 1940, having probably struck a mine. The ever-helpful database of the in-game store goes on to say: "The Thames was an ocean-going type of submarine." A Tier 7 ship, she is the first sub in the U.K. line to sport 6 torpedo tubes, and all of her torpedoes fire from the front of the boat. The Royal Navy totally ignores aft-fired torpedoes until Tier 9. This forward thinking gives the Thames a distinctly more powerful Alpha (maximum forward damage spike) than her predecessor, the H Class, and indeed there is no submarine in the game below Tier 11 with a higher Alpha. She is a bit slower than the H Class and a bit more sturdy, with a slightly increased base dive time. She also can enter deeper water than the H Class. SUGGESTED STRATEGY With increased dive time, and the better-trained officers that come from having made it this far, new missions open up over what was available in the H Class. It now becomes possible to enter the main battle early, pop up and strike, then descend and continue farther into enemy territory, resurfacing behind enemy lines to breathe. Once your air tanks have replenished, you can head back into the main battle from behind or continue even deeper into enemy territory looking for CVs (Carriers) hiding along the back wall. Finding a CV is easiest if you keep your eye on the radar map. While the hull is thicker on the Thames than the H Class, this is still a very fragile boat with slow reload compared to surface ships. The Thames has much less Durability than an entry-level destroyer and still no rear-fire torpedoes to deal with pursuers. 6 torpedoes makes engaging enemy subs easier than in the H Class, as it can be hard to hit these tiny targets on the first try. One strategy is to fire 3 proximity torpedoes in a fan, wait and see if they hit, then repeat if necessary. Extremely slow speeds can be useful when playing cat and mouse with another sub. You want to stay behind him. But beware that after tier 5, most enemy subs have rear-fire torpedoes (most notable exception is the Tier 11 IJN). If you are able to stay very close behind another sub, their torpedoes will dud on impact. If you are farther away, depth 1 or 2 is a good place to be if you think the enemy sub has less air than you do and is about to surface. Pursuing at depth 1 allows you the possibility of firing immediately when he surfaces and then quickly get to level 2 so he can't hit you from the surface. But pursuing at depth 1 may give away your position as your periscope sticks out of the water. Alternatively, you can just use your sonar to keep him lit up long enough for allies to arrive, then you should get the heck out of the way, so you don't get sunk by your own team! If you know where an enemy sub is, but you are low on air, you might be tempted to pursue him from the surface. Be very careful if you decide to ride the surface while trailing an enemy that has rear-fire torpedoes. If the enemy sub doesn't get you, many times his friends will. Often the best option is simply to leave and not try to chase a sub that has rear-fire torpedoes. When engaging surface ships, prioritize large slow ships. You might elect to fire 5 torpedoes on a large ship when you pop up, saving one to deal with surprises on your exit. With the slow reload that comes with a sub, try to become skilled at using contact detonation on large ships, making the most of the few shots you get to fire. If you are low on air, you can often stay safely surfaced right next to a BB (Battleship) if you get really close to it. They often cannot target objects that are too close. SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT Boiler, Repair Crew